Indorsed-candidate lockout for voting-machines.



W. J. LAUSTEREH.

INDORSED CANDIDATE LOCKOUT FOR VOTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. 1913.

1,1 89,840., Patented July 4, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- a r F O 9 I 2 v Away/Km MLf /V Home! .W. J. LAUSTERER. INDORSED CANDIDATE LOCKOUT FOR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-14,1913. 1,189,840. I Patented July 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

YE EBI E EBEEIPDBZ Bi @CDJGDGDOQQGDGDO @CDGDED 0? CD @@@CD 7? H55.

I H55. 2 @Juvewboz I75 10. H56 82 a LAW- W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J'. LAIISTERER, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO AUTOMATIC REGISTERING MACHINE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INDORSED-CANDIDATE LOCKOUT FOR, VOTING-MACHINES.

Application filed October 14, 1913.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM J. LAUS- 'rnnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indorsed-Candidate Lockouts for Voting- Machines, of Which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a special interlocking device on voting'machines, for candidates that have been nominated by two or more parties in a multi-candidate group of candidates.

Another object of this invention is to make this special interlocking device easily adjusted to meet the changing conditions of elections.

These and other objects of the invent-ion will be fully illustrated in the drawings, described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the interlocking device of a voting machine such as has been described in former Patent No. 1,031,184. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the special interlocking device for indorsed candidates. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the interlocking channels. Fig. 4 is a vertical, longitudinal section on the line 4*4 of Fig. 2 Fig. is a vertical. longitudinal section on the line 5*5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detailed side elevation of one of my improved interlocking wedges. Fig. 7 is a detailed view of a portion of one of the regular interlocking straps of a voting machine. Fig. 8 is a detailed view of one of the special interlocking straps for the indorsed candidates. Fig. 9 is a detailed view of one of the interlocking rollers for the indorsing channels. Fig. 10 is an edge View of one of the interlocking wedges.

In the accompanying drawings, like reference. numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawings. reference numeral 1 indicates the front plate of a voting machine on which are placed voting keys of any desired type to which are connected interlocking straps 2, by which the voting of these. keys is regulated. These keys and their straps are normally arranged in single candidate groups which groups may be combined in multi-candidate groups as the needs Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 4, 1916.

Serial No. 795,057.

of the ticket on the machine may require. Only a portion of the straps 2 that are normally on the machine are illustrated in Fig. 1, the rest being omitted for the sake of clearness. These straps carry wedges such as are shown in Patent 1,031,184, which are interlocked by the rollers 3, carried in the channel 4.

hen the same candidate is nominated by two or more parties in a inulti-candidate group, he can be voted for any two or more places or two or more votes can be cast for him unless some special provision is made on the voting machine to prevent this. In order to prevent this, I provide as follows: On the main interlocking channel 4, are provided the studs 5 and (3. An auxiliary interlocking channel 7 is provided with openings therein with which these studs are adapted to engage and by which the channel 7 may be held in place on the channel 4. This channel 7 contains interlocking rollers 8 arranged in two sets. Each of these rollers S is similar to those shown in Patent No. 1,031,184 except that they are provided with reduced or trunnioned ends 9, 9 such as shown in Fig. 9. The plates 11. 12, 13 and 14 of the channel are perforatedwith slots as shown at 10, in which these trunnioned ends engage and along which the interlocking roller has a limited movement. The end rollers have their ends engaged with round openings in the channel with which they make a close fit and by which they are held firmly in place. If desired, the end rollers of aeh group may be perforated and a pin 15 may be driven through the two consecutive longitudinal rollers and .the four plates between which they are held,

the ends of the pin being headed up so as to hold all of the parts firmly in place. As shown in Fig. 3, every fifth roller is thus held in place, the intermediate rollers being permitted a limited movement sufiicient to permit the drawing in of asingle interlocking wedge 11, as is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

As is shown in Fig. 2, the plates 12 and 13 are spaced apart by the washers 16, which washers are placed opposite every fifth roller and through which washers pass the pins 15 that hold the four plates together. These washers hold the plates 12 and 13 apart sufficiently so that the trunnioned ends of the two parallel rows of rollers will not come into contact with each other. The plate 11 is perforated at 17 to receive the round heads of screws 18 which pass through the plates 19 and 20 of the auxiliary channel and which are drawn up tight by the nuts 21 on the outside thereof. This special channel may be used in any desired place where an extra combination of indorsement may occur. The interlocking straps, too, are each provided with a lug 22 which is perforated at 23, to which the interlocking strap 2% of the special wedges may be attached. These lugs are arranged preferably at three different elevations on the straps, every third strap having its lug arranged at the same elevation.

The special interlocking straps are made of different lengths to correspond with the height of the lugs on the straps with which they are intended to engage. Aside from the variation in lengths between the special straps 24, 25 and 26, the straps are alike. Each of these st 'aps has at the upper end thereof, a short stud 27, projecting therefrom. Pivotally mounted at 28 on the strap is the yoke 29, which has an opening 30 therein, to re ceive the stud 27. At the bottom of the strap is the wedge 11 which consists of a single piece of sheet metal doubled on itself which is riveted at 31 to the interlocking strap 2i on which it is pivotally mounted.

To apply the indors ing wedges, it is first necessary to pass the wedges between the rollers until the narrow portion 32 of the wedge nests in the recess in the roller. Then the stud 27 at the top of the strap is brought into engagement with the openim 23 in the lug 22, after which both the main interlocking strap 2 and the auxiliary strap 2% are fastened together by swinging up the yoke 29 into the engaging position shown in Fig. 1. As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 8, the upper end of the yoke 29 extends outwardly so as to fit the strap and the lug and it is provided with a recess 33 by which it may be engaged to be moved outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 8.

The special straps 24, 25 and 26 are made of difierent lengths and the lugs 22 are placed at different heights so as to prevent the special straps from interfering with each other when placed on adjacent straps 2. It will be understood that where a special interlocking strap is coupled to a main strap four thicknesses of metal occur, two thicknesses in the yoke and one thickness in each of the two st am, and if a number of these yokes were coupled up side by side in a single straight line they would seriously interfere with each other or even prevent each other from operatin It will also be understood that the straps 2 are arranged in groups of four or five or even more pairs of straps in each group and these groups of five pairs of straps are spaced. an inch between centers messes in machines heretofore built. It will also be understood that the tenth strap in each group will be used to interlock the slide in the blank column and as no special interlocking strap need be placed thereon such straps need not be further referred to.

In each group of rollers, enough space is left to permit the drawing in of one wedge and no more. lVhere two or more wedges 11 are interlocked in a group, but one of them can be moved to voted position, the rest of them will be locked out.

If the capacity of a single group is not sufficient or in case of a cross indorsemcnt where the name of the same candidate ocours in two office lines. two consecutive groups may be combined by the use of a clip 35 shown in Figs. 2, 3 and i. This clip straddles the pin roller and communicates the motion of the rollers adjacent to the pin roller to each other without disturbing the position of the pin roller. It also takes up the displacement of one interlocking wedge so that in the two groups that are combined by it, only one wedge can be voted. By the use of a plurality of theseclips which straddle successive pin rollers, the motion of the rollers of one group may be connnuni *ated over several groups to the rollers of a remote group. Its use in connection with adjacent groups is shown in Fig. 4: where wedge 36 is locked out in one group by the voting of wedge 11 in the next adjacent group and the pin roller 37 remains fixed in its original position undisturbed by this attachment.

It will be noticed that the special straps 2%, 25 and '26 are indicated by the letters of the party rows with which they are intended to be used. This application shows an improvement on my prior Patent No. 950,156.

I claim:

1. The combination with an interlocking mechanism comprising a plurality of groups of displaceable members, and means for displacing said members to set the interlock for each group, of means for connecting the members of a plurality of said groups to simultaneously interlock said groups when the members of one group are interlocked.

2. In a voting machine, interlocking mechanism comprising incombination, members movable with the voting keys, interlocking means arranged in separate groups and moved by said members, and means for locking the interlocking means of one of said groups against actuation by the movement of the interlocking means of another group.

3. In a voting machine, interlocking mechanism comprising in combination, members movable with the voting keys of indorsed candidates, interlocking devices arranged in separate groups and moved by said members, and means for locking the blocks of one of said groups against actuation by the movement of the blocks of another group.

4 In a voting machine the combination of a main interlocking strap having a perforated lug thereon intermediate the ends thereof, an auxiliary interlocking strap having a pin thereon capable of engaging with the perforation in said lug, and a yoke pivotally mounted on the auxiliary strap capable of engaging the outer faces of both the auxiliary strap and the lug on the main strap and holding the pin in engagement with said perforation.

5. In an interlocking device the combination of supporting plates, rollers supported between said plates, predetermined ones of said rollers being held fixed therein, intermediate rollers between said fixed rollers loosely mounted for a limited movement along the plates, said rollers beingarranged in successive groups, and a clip adapted to engage a loose roller of one group and adapted to communicate the motion thereof around the fixed roller to a loose roller in the next group.

6. In an interlocking device the combinationof supporting plates, rollers supported between said plates, predetermined ones of said rollers being held fixed therein, intermediate rollers between said fixed rollers loosely mounted for a limited movement along the plates, said rollers being arranged in successive groups, and a clip adapted to engage a loose roller of one group and adapted to communicate the motion thereof around the fixed roller to a loose roller in the next group, each of said groups having an equal amount of lost space between the rollers thereof, said clip being adapted to limit the lost space in the two groups to half the original amount.

7. In an interlocking device, the combination of movable interlocking members arranged in separate groups, and means whereby the movement of the interlocking members of one group will hold the members of another group against actuation.

8. In an interlocking device, the combination of movable interlocking members arranged in groups separated by a fixed abutment and a member engaging interlocking members of different groups to communicate the interlocking movement of one group to another group.

9. In an interlocking device, the combination of movable interlocking members arranged in groups separated by fixed abutments and clip members engaging interlocking members of different groups to communicate the movement of an interlocking member of any group to the interlocking members of the other groups.

10. The combination with main interlocking means and closely adjacent multiple means for actuating said means to lock out the otheractuating means, of auxiliary interlocking means, actuating means therefor and means for connecting said main and auxiliary actuating means, in sets to prevent interference between adjoining of said interconnected main and auxiliary interlock actuating means.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence'of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LAUSTERER. 

